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June 13, 2023 Meeting Minutes

Call to Order:  Chairman Bob Hughey called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm at the District Office 79 Wiley Lane in Makanda. A roll call was taken.

Board Members present were Chairman Bob Hughey, Vice-Chairman Kimberly Cole, and Trustees Grace Brewer, Paul Heern, John Dickson and Warren Ladner.  Trustee Karen Fiorino was absent. 

Staff and Professionals:                                      Present                                 Absent

Treasurer, Mike Williamsen,                                 Present         

District Secretary Mike Twomey,                        Present

Legal Counsel Mike Twomey,                              Present

Engineer Joe Boyke,                                                                                              Absent          

FT Staff:  WSO, Alex Heidbreder                         Present

     Office Manager, Sage Lintner             Present

Visitors present and Visitor Requests: 

Customer Requests:  Customer Carl Bailey, resident on Potters Road reached out and requested that boil order signs be placed on Rt 51 prior to Potters Road coming south for persons who live between Potters Road and the Golf Course.  Discussion with staff and more signs are being ordered to accommodate all routes coming into the water district during a boil order. 

Approval of Minutes:  Trustee Dickson made a motion to accept the minutes of May 16, 2023 with 2 corrections, seconded by Trustee Brewer and with a voice vote of (5) yay votes and (0) nay votes.  The minutes of 05/16/2023 were approved and 2 corrections will be made. 

Communications for June 2023: 

None.

New business: 

  1. Resignations of Kenny Cowan WSO part-time support and Sherry Cowan Office part-time support.  Both resigned and Bob reported that he had an exit interview with both.  Sherry has offered to help cover vacations.  They have both been a tremendous help to the district and the Board would like to thank them both for their outstanding work and service.

Old business:

  1. Congressional spending grant opportunity:  No update  PENDING
  • IEPA re-opened grant for Lead Service Line inventory:  The grant was accepted, Chair Hughey and Treasurer Williamsen initialed the paperwork.  The IEPA is preparing the contract.  PENDING
  • Repair of roof, Water/wiring damage-Insurance Claim:  Chair Hughey asked to meet with Bryce Mason to communicate the details of the work in order to proceed.  No work has been done yet.  PENDING
  • Employee handbook Rev. 2.0 updates:  The handbook is being printed and will be bound by the Printing Plant.  On track for July completion PENDING
  • Strategic plan Five (5) Year: Vice Chair Cole is working to further develop the strategic plan for BPWD. The Board requested an August completion deadline for the plan to be completed.  Treasurer Williamsen offered to assist as early as Friday June 16, 2023. PENDING
  • Lead (Pb) service line inventory:  Chair Hughey reported on the lead service line inventory and progress.  Route 5 is nearly complete, Only 3 routes to go.  2 cannot be found.  Next step is Route 4.  The grant will allow us to hire Brian Bush to clean out the meter pits (about 40 possible with this funding)  The remaining work for the project will be planned, discussed, and scheduled for the final inventory deadline of April 2024.  PENDING
  • GPS mapping:  Office manager Lintner reported that this item has requested this in both grant applications. She will get some additional quotes for the work as alternatives to IRWA since they indicated they are backed up.  The valves are still being located.  PENDING
  • Cross connection survey and program:  ROINC Cole has the survey binder and continues the work to review and sign each one. Work is proceeding.  PENDING
  • Chad with Midwest Meter:  Chairman Hughey met with Chad and reported on his findings:  Radio read meters will no longer be manufactured.  Only 20-30 left.  They no longer support the software in our handheld.  Options for BPWD over time is switch to cellular if stay with Badger.  It was told to Chair Hughey by two (2) engineers that Zenner is the leading vendor.  This item will be added to the 5-year strategic plan for the planning to upgrade our systems RESOLVED
  • March 2023 fire-fighting water bill to Makanda Fire Department:  Office manager Lintner reported that the bill of $500 has been paid.  She will write a letter to the township regarding the Makanda Fire Department and Cobden Fire department to notify us in the event of a fire so WSO Heidbreder can hook up the hydrant meter.  Insurance should pay but the Fire Department will get the bill.  Trustee Dickson said he didn’t know who the fire chief is, as Jimmy is retiring.  PENDING
  • Duplicate payment of Insurance premium:  Chair Hughey reported that this wasn’t a duplicate payment, it was the deductible for our defense with EEOC for the former employee $2500.  RESOLVED

Carbondale Water District:  Nothing new to report

Staff and Board group reports:

  1. Office manager Lintner report (attached):
  • Maintenance water Operator Heidbreder report (attached):
  • Work Group 1, Ordinance review. Office manager Lintner reported finding more random ordinances in boxes in the back of the district office.  Vice Chair Cole said she would send the list that is the current blue ordinance book of all the previously known ordinances to compare the newly found ones.
  • Work Group 2, Water loss:  Meeting scheduled for Wednesday June 28, 2023 at 10:45 am.  There is a 26% overall loss this month with a spike in Route 3 that is being investigated currently. 
  • ROINC report (attached)

Accounting and Financial reports, May 2023: Treasurer reviewed the May 2023 accounting and financial reports with the Board. He reported that our budget was over-spent with water sales down and expenses up.  We do have funds to pay the bills.  The new rate increase will cover this and bring in $5500 new revenue in the 2nd half of the year and we should be better financially at the close of 2023.  Vice Chair Cole noted that the page with the expenses and budget line items do not match what was in the approved budget.  Office manager Lintner and Treasurer Williamsen will investigate. Treasurer Williamsen reported that 1 T-bill will come due in July and will rollover.  Trustee Ladner made a motion to rollover our T-bills as they come due with a 2nd by Trustee Dickson.  A vote of 5 ayes and 0 nays approved this procedure.

Payment of the bills and approval of May 2023 disbursements:  Treasurer Williamsen reviewed the bills to be paid this month.  Trustee Brewer made a motion to pay the bills. Trustee Heern made a 2nd. A roll call vote was taken and 5 ayes, and 0 nays was obtained, and motion passed to pay the bills.

Additional Public comments or questions: 

Executive session: None

Motion for Adjournment:  Trustee Brewer made a motion to adjourn, and 2nd by Trustee Heern. All in favor by voice 5 ayes, and 0 nays, the motion carried to adjourn.

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